GCM 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Paper Towel, Offset Printing, Computer To Plate
Document Summary
Printing plates are a critical part of any conventional printing process. Define the areas and shapes that will be printed. Are the first point of contact for printing inks. May or may not come into direct contact with the substrate. Can be made of a variety of substrates. Can be flat, cylindrical, rigid, or flexible. Can be inexpensive to make or very costly. Can be created using film and contact frames. Can be directly imaged using a laser. Although there are many different types of printing plates, they all share a distinct set of common characteristics. Different types of printing plates have their own unique characteristics as well: For all conventional printing processes there must be a printing plate for each colour printed. A cmyk job would have 4 plates. A black and pms 286 job would have 2 plates. A cmyk and pms 286 job would have 5 plates.